The Ginger and the Gun
by Chels17
Summary: AU from the end of 3x02 in which Nicole fell off the cliff but somehow survived... and starts discovering some answers about her past from none other than Peacemaker (aka the Nicole/Peacemaker brotp you never knew you needed). Who saved Nicole? What exactly is Waverly? Basically I'm taking all my questions from this season and putting them into a fic. COMPLETE.
1. The Fall

Author's note:

Guys, I haven't written any fics in over 2 years. My last writing muse was Clexa, and after all that went down, I just kinda lost the desire to write fanfic. But guess what? Wayhaught, that's what. They are the greatest otp and I freaking love this show and I just wanted to get back into writing again, so here we go! This show is filled with incredible characters and fantastic mythology, so this will be a fun sandbox to play in. I'm starting this after 3x03, and it's very likely that all my theories will be disproved by the next episode, but that's why this is an AU and we're just going to roll with it. ;)

And of course, reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

Nicole groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Every part of her body ached.

 _What just happened? Where am I?_

The first sensation Officer Haught fully registered was the cold - well below freezing. She was flat on her back and gazed upward. All she could see was a sheer cliff face rising up into the clouds. A storm was rolling in and the sky was so thick she could hardly see.

The memories came flooding back now. There was a car crash. She had been rappelling down the cliff to reach Peacemaker for Wynonna. Something went wrong with her rope, and now she was here.

Nicole did a quick mental inventory of her injuries. No serious damage. But how could that be? She slowly sat up and grabbed the rope that was still attached to her. Nicole gasped when she found the end of it and discovered it hadn't frayed and the knot hadn't come undone. (Not that either of those had been a likely scenario - Nicole was a perfectionist when it came to her gear maintenance.) Her rope had been _cut_. With a knife. Intentionally. Someone up there had wanted her dead. But who? And what had they done to her friends? Nicole shuddered at the thought.

"Waves!" Nicole called out. "Waverly! Wynonna! I'm down here!" Nicole waited, but heard no reply. "Doc? Dolls?" Still nothing. "Anybody?"

So they had left her? Or had something more sinister happened? Nicole noticed something shiny a few feet away and was surprised to find she had company.

"Peacemaker? What are you doing here?" Nicole was positive she hadn't knocked over the gun as she fell. It should still be sitting on that ledge.

"Did you follow me down?" Nicole shook her head. Why was she speaking to an inanimate object? Maybe she was concussed. Just then, Peacemaker started to glow faintly. And not the usual orange. It was _blue._

* * *

"FUCK BULSHAR," Waverly screamed, sweeping Doc's shot glass out of his hand and sending it crashing into the wall. "How can we kill him, Doc? Hmm? We don't even have Peacemaker anymore."

Wynonna took another long swig of whiskey, straight from the bottle. "I can't believe that bastard gun abandoned us too."

"The gun may be gone," Doc agreed, trying to keep his tone level, "but it has to be somewhere, and most likely is at the bottom of that cliff. Tomorrow Jeremy and I can go down there to retrieve it and Officer Haught's body..." Doc paused, realizing his mistake too late.

Wynonna winced.

"Well, fuck you too, Doc." Waverly's voice was barely a whisper, and that was more terrifying than when she was screaming. "We don't know that Nicole is dead." Waverly slumped into a chair as a fresh wave of tears burst from her.

"You're right, baby girl," Wynonna said, glaring at Doc. She looked down at the tags in her hand that not long ago had been around Dolls' neck. "And stop trying to make a plan, Holliday, because you're not very good at it. Save it for the rational thinkers."

"Oh, you mean the members of our group who are now gone?"

Wynonna shot him another look, then placed a hand on Waverly's shoulder. "We're gonna get her back, okay? And my stupid gun. Then we're gonna put stupid Bulshar and his stupid cult in the stupid ground."

Jeremy, who had been silent for the past hour, finally spoke up. "What about Dolls?"

Wynonna spun toward him. "Keep your scalpels away, Dr. Frankenstein. Don't you dare touch him."

Jeremy threw his hands up in surrender. "I'm not going to! It's just something we need to figure out. We can't leave him sitting in a fridge."

" _We?_ " Wynonna said. "There is no _we_ in this, Jeremy. You couldn't keep Dolls alive and you didn't have the decency to tell us what was happening. Doc can take you on whatever horribly-planned adventures he wants, but as far as I'm concerned, you aren't a part of this anymore. You can pack your bags and get the hell out of the Ghost River Triangle. Lucky you."

Jeremy opened his mouth to respond but shut it just as quick from a shake of Doc's head. He was probably right. No point talking about this with her right now. Jeremy sighed and walked out the door.

* * *

Nicole had to walk with a slight limp, but that wasn't going to stop her. She held Peacemaker outstretched in front of her, watching as its blue glow grew fainter when she turned off track, and brighter as she followed its course. At least, that's what Nicole figured was going on. She really had no idea and certainly wasn't used to being told what to do by a gun. She preferred things the other way around. But for some reason she was calm, at peace, and curious. She assumed she was being led to safety, but it also felt like she was being guided to something more.

After what felt like ages, but was most likely an hour, Peacemaker's glow went out.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, tapping the barrel. "Run out of batteries?"

Peacemaker flickered blue once, then went back out, and somehow Nicole knew that was a _no._

"Okay," she said, looking around. "So you want me to be here."

Two flickers this time. Must be a _yes._

"Great, now I understand gun morse code. I must be losing my mind." Nicole yelped and dropped the gun when it seared her hand. "Sheesh, I'm sorry," she said, narrowing her eyes at the weapon lying in the dirt. "Can I pick you up again if I promise to be nice?"

No response.

Nicole sighed. "You can't stay mad at me. You need me to take you back to Wynonna. Are we good?"

A brief pause, then two blue flickers.

Nicole chuckled, then picked up the gun again, tucking it into her belt. She looked at her surroundings and found that she was at the edge of a clearing, which seemed strange considering all the tall trees she had been trudging around for the last hour.

Before the woods started changing, Nicole swore she knew Purgatory like the back of her hand. Sure, she wasn't a native, but she had spent a lot of time in the woods, whether for a leisurely hike or working a case. But since Bulshar had come back, strange things were happening to the trees, and she wasn't the only one who had noticed. The police department was receiving regular reports of missing persons, lost cars, and more because people were suddenly becoming disoriented when they entered the forests. And creepy loner revenants like the cannibal Waverly had just escaped from certainly weren't helping matters.

Waverly.

Nicole tried not to think about the woman she loved, but found that to be pretty damn difficult. Nicole had no idea what happened to them after she fell. She had to assume the best or else she might not have the drive to keep going. And it was _so_ cold. Nicole suddenly realized how tired she was, and thought it might be nice to just lean up against a tree and close her eyes for a few minutes...

Nicole was startled as she felt Peacemaker get warm. Not hot enough to burn her again, but just enough to make her alert.

"You're right," she said. "Falling asleep here would mean frostbite and death. I'm trusting you to get me out of this, you hear?"

Peacemaker shot another pulse of warmth into her and Nicole smiled. "Thanks, buddy. I won't complain if you want to be my personal space heater for a while."

Nicole examined the clearing she was approaching more closely. The area was peppered with young trees, which was odd considering the others around her were at least a couple centuries old. It was as if there had been a controlled burn in this part of the woods not too long ago.

A fire.

But it hadn't been a fire that had killed all those people, including her aunt and uncle. Nicole's parents told her she survived a fire. Looks like someone actually had set fire to the area to fit the cover story. But the new green growth couldn't hide the truth.

A new batch of memories sprang into Nicole's mind. She had been here before. This was exactly where the music festival had been. Nicole walked quicker through the opening as she took it all in. This is where the stage had been, hordes of happy groupies surrounding it. She had been one of them. Nicole spun around, seeing in her mind's eye what the clearing had looked like on that day so many years ago.

 _A band was playing. People dancing. The smell of funnel cakes and beer in the air. Then suddenly there were screams. Nicole was the tallest kid in her grade, but the swarm of adults blocked her view._

" _What's happening?" she asked her aunt, tugging on the hem of her shirt._

" _Nicole, come here," her uncle urged. They were next to the stage and he kicked a hole into the wooden base, splinters flying off. "Get in and don't make a sound. We'll come back for you when it's safe."_

" _No," Nicole begged, her voice sounding small, even to her. "Please don't leave me."_

" _Shh, my darling ginger. Everything will be okay." Her aunt smiled, but Nicole could tell it was forced. "Just imagine we're playing hide and seek. Hurry now."_

 _Nicole nodded and squeezed into the opening that was barely big enough for her. The moment she was concealed she saw her aunt and uncle's feet run toward the screams. Seconds later someone fell dead right in front of her hole. Nicole clamped her hands over her mouth to muffle her cry. She recognized him as one of the guitarists from the band._

 _Nicole crawled to the middle of the stage, farthest away from the slits in the wood around her, farthest from the horror. She curled herself into a ball, pressed her hands to her ears, and forced everything from her mind._

 _Much later young Nicole woke up. She wondered why it was completely dark and why she was lying in grass. Suddenly everything came back and hit her like a tidal wave. She covered her mouth again to keep from crying out. She sat quietly for several minutes, listening intently for any sounds. After hearing nothing she decided she had to get out. The lump in her throat told her that her aunt and uncle weren't coming back for her. And only one thing would have stopped them._

 _Nicole gagged as she crawled over the dead man in front of the hole. He had been too heavy to push out of the way. She gasped in terror at what the moonlight revealed to her. Bodies everywhere. Blood-soaked grass. Disembodied limbs. Strange symbols carved into flesh. Nicole ran as fast as her legs could carry her, out of the opening and toward the trees. She didn't stop until she reached a river. She knelt and cupped the water to her mouth, the cool autumn air setting in and chilling her to the bone._

 _Nicole couldn't help herself as she laid down, tucking her arms and legs into herself to stay warm, and sleep found her again._

 _This time Nicole awoke to a voice. A man's voice. She slowly opened her eyes just enough to see him standing in front of her._

" _She's the one?" he asked, seemingly to no one. "But she's just a girl - how can she be the Protector? Ouch! Okay, okay!" He swatted at something at his side. It was a gun. "Message received."_

 _The man helped Nicole to her feet, but her knees buckled beneath her._

" _Whoa, there," the man said, catching her and lifting her into his arms. "You're safe now. What's your name, young one?"_

" _N-Nicole," she managed to say._

" _Okay, Nicole, I've got you. Let's get you someplace warm. You're safe now."_

Nicole snapped out of her reverie. She could see it now, the resemblance. Not to Waverly, but the older two. And the gun he had apparently been talking to was all too familiar to her now.

Peacemaker.

Nicole glanced down at the same gun that was at her own side.

"It was Wade? Wade Earp?" she asked Peacemaker earnestly. "He's the one who saved me that day? And you're showing me this because you were there too."

Two blue flickers. _Yes._


	2. In the Cards

_Author's note: Sorry for mistakenly writing "Wade Earp" instead of "Ward" at the end of the first chapter. I was really tired when I finished that haha. I think there will be just two or three more chapters in this fic. I have a lot of it planned and I want to keep it tight and not drawn out. But things could change - you never know... And disclaimer: I did do some research on tarot cards, but I really know nothing about them, so don't judge me if you're a pro. :p Now please enjoy a more Waverly-centric chapter, and I'm very curious to hear what you think of this one!_

* * *

Nicole held Peacemaker out in front of her as she slogged through the deepening snow. It was coming down hard now, and each step took more and more effort. Her vision started to blur. Nicole let the gun drop to her side and placed a hand against a tree, leaning on it for support.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I really don't think I can go on. And I have no idea where we are. I swear I've seen this tree already, but at the rate they're moving, it may have started out at the Homestead and ended up here. Who knows."

Peacemaker heated her hand, pulsing its blue light.

"I know," she said, slowly slipping to the ground. Her thoughts grew foggy and her words began to slur. "But I don't have anything left in me." Nicole pulled her coat tighter around her, knowing it wouldn't be enough. Not for much longer. "I just wish Waverly were here."

* * *

"Well, we have Bulshar's ring," Waverly said to her sister. "Can that somehow be used against him?"

They turned toward the front door as Doc, Kate, and Jeremy walked into the Homestead, all dusted with powdery snow. Waverly jumped up, looking expectantly at them, but Jeremy just shook his head. Doc sighed and removed his hat. "Who needs a drink?"

Wynonna raised a hand. "You know I'll never say no to an alcoholic offer."

"But no news is good news, right?" Waverly said, looking at the other faces in the room, searching for validation. "Nicole must have taken Peacemaker somewhere!"

"Waves," Wynonna replied, "it also might mean someone - or some _thing_ \- has both of them."

"And this weather won't be kind to solitary travelers," Doc added.

Waverly sat back down, trying not to look as deflated as she felt. "Well, let's not jump to any conclusions before we have solid evidence." She turned to Kate. "And what do you have to say for yourself, Miss Secret Vampire? Don't think I haven't noticed your undead qualities."

"That conversation certainly needs to be had," Doc said, "but first you need to listen to her." He turned to Kate. "Tell them your theory."

"It's more than just a theory," Kate said as she sat on the couch and placed her tarot cards on the coffee table. She looked at Waverly and gestured to the space opposite her. "Come, sit, and see for yourself."

Waverly glanced at Wynonna, who just shrugged, then the younger Earp lowered herself to the floor across from the vampire.

"Now ask me your question," Kate said.

"What question?"

"The question the weighs upon you most heavily. What is it you yearn to know? Keep in mind that the cards are not for revealing a fixed future as much as they help explore your unconscious self."

Waverly hesitated for a moment. "Is Nicole alive?"

Kate sighed. "I know you love her deeply, but that is not _the_ question, is it?"

Waverly looked to the ground as she admitted what really was bothering her most. "If I'm not an Earp, what am I?"

Kate nodded, shuffled her cards, and had Waverly cut the deck. She placed three cards facedown in a line. "These represent your past, present, and future."

Kate slowly flipped over each card and remained silent for a moment as she studied them. Waverly looked at her curiously. No one in the room made a sound.

"This is interesting, but not altogether surprising. The Magician, the Hermit reversed, and the Wheel of Fortune."

"So what does it mean?" Wynonna asked.

"Your past is represented by the Magician. Pure willpower. As above, so below. In your past you have been able to take all that was available to you and mold and transform that into your desires."

Kate pointed to the middle card. "The Hermit reversed."

"When a card is reversed, isn't that bad?" Waverly asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Not necessarily. You could think of it as a warning. Now, this represents your present and suggests that you are on a path towards the self that may bring great rewards, but also has the danger of luring you deeper into the abyss. Your gaze inward has perhaps led to a feeling of disconnection from those around you."

Waverly nodded. "You're not wrong there. And the future?"

"The Wheel of Fortune," Kate said. "Greater forces that are outside of human control are at work here. This represents the inevitable changing of cycles. It's lesson is: What comes up must come down. Something from your past will be soon returning." Kate paused. "Now, put all together my read for you is this: In your past you had great power to manipulate forces or people around you, but for good, I believe, from what I sense in you. You currently feel cut off from those who should be closest to you, but not long from now the cycle will begin again. Your power will return. Soon will be the time to tap into that full potential rather than hold back."

Jeremy was first to break the silence. "Is anyone else a little lost? Or is it just me? I skipped tarot reading class."

"Yeah," Waverly said, "I mean I get some of this, but I don't know what you're trying to tell me."

"Let me ask you this, Waverly," Kate said. "How do you feel about salt?"

Waverly snorted. "Random question award, but I actually can't stand salty stuff. Like, at all."

"It's true. Waverly is literally the least salty person I know." Wynonna winked at her sister. What a great pun.

Kate spoke again. "And have you, by chance, ever encountered anyone else with a particular aversion to salt?"

"You mean the Stone Witch we buried in salt? Constance Clootie?" Wynonna chuckled. "That was a great day."

"Do you see the connection?" Kate asked.

"Between baby girl and Bulshar's batshit wife?" Wynonna asked. "Nope, not really. Constance was much eviler and bitchier."

"Holy shit," Waverly said, the realization setting in. "I'm a witch, aren't I?"

* * *

Nicole dreamt she heard engines revving. Huge snowflakes were falling all around. She couldn't get away from the damn cold even in her sleep. Through the haze emerged a snowmobile, ridden by none other than Sheriff Nedley, led by a dog. Nicole smiled. This had to be one of the most ridiculous dreams she'd had in a long time. At least it was better than the nightmares. Her eyes closed again. But if this was the end, why couldn't she be dreaming of Waverly? Awake or asleep, alive or dead, all she ever wanted to see was Waverly Earp.

Nicole felt shaking all around her. The world was spinning. Was there an earthquake in this dream too?

"Office Haught, wake up," a familiar voice said. "Officer Haught." The shaking got stronger. "Nicole, you have to get up!"

She slowly opened her eyes. This dream was a persistent one, because here in front of her still was Nedley, snowmobile in the background. Nicole smiled. "Very funny, dream weavers, maybe he'll start juggling next, and give him a tutu." Wait, maybe that actually would be a nightmare...

"Good lord," Nedley said. "She's really lost it." He wrapped a blanket around Nicole and called over his shoulder, "Officer, a little help, please! Hypothermia has already set in, and she's not going to make it if we don't move fast."

* * *

"You've made a deal with a witch in the past, yes?" Kate asked.

"Well, yes, actually," Waverly said. "Gretta Perley, the Iron Witch. To save Nicole. That was a trip."

Kate nodded. "Well, there you go. Even the Iron Witch knew what you were. Witches only make deals like that with other witches. Power binds power."

Wynonna turned to Waverly. "I love you, Waves, but come on. This is ridiculous, right?" Wynonna laughed. "So, sis, are you a good witch or a bad witch? Look out for falling houses!"

Waverly rolled her eyes.

"Oh, wait, I'm not done yet. Where's our yellow brick road? We need to get to the Emerald City!"

"This isn't funny, Wynonna," Waverly said. "I think she's right. This feels right. More right than when I thought I was an Earp. Daddy must have known what I was. Or at least knew I wasn't quite normal. Maybe Mama too. Even Willa knew there was something wrong with me."

Wynonna put her hands on her sister's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Hey, baby girl. There is _nothing_ wrong with you."

Kate reshuffled her deck and flipped over another three cards. "Huh. It seems you were immaculately conceived."

Waverly's jaw dropped in surprise, and even Doc looked taken aback.

Wynonna chuckled. "Looks like we finally found Jesus."

Kate continued to study the cards and spoke again. "Ward knew you weren't his. This put obvious strain on the marriage, and did nothing to help your mother's... shall we say, psychotic tendencies. No one believed there was no father. It's partly what drove her crazy."

"You always did look like a clone of Mama's baby pictures," Wynonna said. "Apparently you are!"

Waverly turned to her sister. "Wynonna, can you please take something seriously for once?"

"Sorry. You know I deflect crazy with humor."

"You aren't just any witch," Kate said. "I believe you actually were Constance's archrival. In her first life."

Jeremy's eyes doubled in size. "Come again? Her first life? Last I checked, you and Doc were the ones blessed slash cursed with immortality. Well, not Doc anymore..." He winced and looked toward his mustachioed friend. "Sorry to bring that up again."

Doc just rolled his eyes.

"She's not immortal, per se," Kate said. "If I'm interpreting my cards correctly, which I always am, Waverly is a bit more interesting than that."

Wynonna was getting more frustrated and confused by the second. "Well, spit it out, Professor X."

Kate looked up at them. "From what I've seen of Waverly, her feistiness reminds me so much of Wyatt. Not because I thought she was descended from him, but because she actually knew him. When he was alive."

"So you think I'm somehow nearly 200 years old."

"Not exactly," Kate said. "I think back then you were someone named Margaret." She shot a pointed look at Doc. "Maggie, as most people knew her. Maggie was a good witch, a white witch, and she helped Wyatt bring the Clooties down. She aided in the demise of Constance's sons."

"So really she is partly responsible for the Earp curse. And you're saying she's _me_. That's just great."

Doc shook his head. "Don't cast Maggie in such a negative light. There was a lot more to her than that." He fidgeted with his hat, lost in thought. "I worked alongside her for a good long time. She really was Wyatt's guardian angel."

Kate nodded. "Wyatt always had an air of mystique surrounding his fame. He was known for getting out of many scrapes miraculously unharmed. What most people didn't know was that there was a reason behind this. Maggie protected him. He really did have supernatural aid."

"But are you sure this is right?" Doc asked. "She doesn't even look like Maggie."

"She wouldn't look the same," Kate said. "This body is the literal biological child of Michelle Gibson, but she still has the spirit and powers of her former self. Maggie's curse was to remain in limbo until just before the Clooties would rise again. She would then be reincarnated with their intent being that she would be forced to watch them kill everyone she cared about. Again. A never ending cycle. And I've been waiting a long time to see if that curse would come true. But I never imagined she would be reincarnated right into the Earp family."

"Reincarnated?" Waverly asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kate nodded. "You don't have the memories of your former life, at least not right now, but that latent power is still in you. I can feel it. You are a strong witch, Waverly. If you find a way to access those memories, you could not only regain those powers-"

Wynonna finished her thought. "You could help us defeat Bulshar." Her tone was serious this time. Maybe they weren't all smoking crack. Or maybe she needed to start smoking crack.

"Exactly," Kate said. "Try to remember what you and Wyatt knew about the Clooties. Figure out how to put him down for good."

All eyes looked to Waverly and she gave a nervous chuckle. "No pressure, right? Can't you two just tell me everything you knew about Maggie? The person I supposedly was - am?"

Kate shook her head. "We've already told you a lot. I don't want to risk tampering with the authentic memories. Tell us when things start to come back, and we can help fill in some gaps. But it needs to come from you."

"And how exactly can she access these memories?" Jeremy asked. He was completely lost but still 100% nerding out about all of this. Tarot, witches, reincarnation. This was awesome.

"It won't happen right away," Kate said. "You'll need to practice. Meditate. Clear your mind. Be completely at peace."

Waverly laughed. "Completely at _peace_? With Bulshar on the loose and massacres occurring on the regular? With Nicole and Peacemaker still missing? Yeah, sure, I'll just go start my meditative bubble bath now."

"You should," Kate urged. "Do whatever it takes. Bulshar may already know who you are. Or at least be suspicious. It's likely why his leather-clad demon went straight for Officer Haught's rope. If your lover were to die, you wouldn't find peace for a very long time. At least long enough for Bulshar to accomplish his goals."

"Which is to finish the Earps," Wynonna said. "Kill us all."

Kate nodded. "Precisely."

"I need to FaceTime Gus," Wynonna said. "Update her." She looked at Waverly. "Maybe I'll skip a few details. I don't even know how to talk about all of this. But I need to see my girl."

Jeremy approached Kate with a big grin. "Can you do me next?" He watched as she flipped over a card. "Ooh, the Lovers?" he said eagerly. "Good news for me?"

"Sorry, Jeremy," she said with a coy smile. "Not quite yet." Kate looked toward the front door expectantly, and a moment later they all heard footsteps approach the Homestead.

Wynonna and Doc whipped out their guns. The front door creaked open as Nicole pushed through and fell to her knees, exhausted. Nedley followed a moment later, a smile sprawled across his face.

Wynonna threw her hands in the air. "Haught damn!"

Within a second Waverly was at her side, tears in her eyes. "Nicole, I was so worried about you."

"Same, Waves." Nicole pulled her close, giving her a long, soft kiss.

"Baby, you're freezing cold." Waverly wove her fingers through that beautiful red hair and kissed her more fervently. Waverly didn't even know who she was anymore, but she knew she needed Nicole. And bad.

Wynonna cleared her throat loudly. "And where's my baby?"

Nicole grinned and pulled out Peacemaker. "Thanks for all your help, buddy. Even if you nearly got me killed." The gun flickered in response and Nicole slid it across the floor to the heir. "Here you go, Earp. Safe and sound."

Wynonna picked up her gun and stared at Nicole. "I think Peacemaker just winked at you."

Nicole laughed. "Yep, we've kinda got a thing goin'."

Wynonna looked to Peacemaker. "You little flirt."

"Should I be jealous of an inanimate object?" Waverly asked, eyebrow raised.

"You know," Nicole said, "the more time I spend with that gun, the less I think of it as inanimate, to be honest."

Jeremy walked over to the couple and wrapped his arms around them both. "I'm so glad you're not dead! Wayhaught lives on!"

Waverly gave him a look. "Wayhaught?"

"Just ignore him," Doc said. "The boy gets fanciful ideas in his head."

Nicole smiled and kissed Waverly again. "I think it's cute."

Wynonna dropped to her knees next to Nicole so they were eye level. "Haught, I'm so sorry I couldn't hold onto that rope. It was one of Bulshar's minions. He came out of nowhere. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't made it."

"Don't worry about it, Earp," Nicole said, a genuine smile on her face. "I'm okay. And Dolls...?"

Wynonna looked down and shook her head.

Tears came to Nicole's eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I," Wynonna replied. "He was one of the best of us. He sacrificed himself taking out that demon so we could make it out of there alive."

"Then he _was_ the best of us." Nicole looked up and noticed Kate, still sitting on the couch. "Who are you?"

"Well, long story short," Waverly said, "she's a vampire, knew Doc and Wyatt from the past, and she's also kinda psychic."

"Oh," Nicole replied. There was honestly little that could surprise her at this point. Plus, it still felt like her brain was frozen. "Nice to know we're still keeping things simple around here."

Kate smiled at Nicole. She turned back to her cards, flipped over the next one, and smirked. "Well, Miss Haught. Now _this_ is interesting."


	3. The Protector and the Witch

_Author's note: I had originally planned for this chapter to include three important conversations, but just this one had so much to pack in that it ended up being enough to stand on its own. The next chapter will include Mama Earp and some long overdue Wayhaughtness, so stay tuned! ;)_

* * *

Wynonna look around the room. "So Waverly's a reincarnated witch and Haught survived a cult of Bulshar massacre. Also Peacemaker talks to you. Neat."

"I think that about sums it up," Doc said.

Jeremy looked at Waverly and Nicole, practically swooning. "You guys are perfect for each other."

Waverly turned to Kate. "What did you see in your cards about Nicole when she came in? You said something was interesting..."

Kate nodded. "I did. You'll need a little more history first, though, and I believe Sheriff Nedley is just the man for that."

All eyes turned to Nedley.

"What history do you mean?" he asked Kate.

"About when you first met Officer Haught. When she was a child."

Nicole gasped. "You met me when I was a kid? Why have you never told me?"

Nedley stared wide-eyed at Kate. "How did you know that? The only other person who knew was Wade Earp."

Now Wynonna was shocked. "Daddy? What the hell did he have to do with all this?"

"Quite a lot, actually," Nedley said.

Nicole nodded slowly. "Ward was the one who saved me. Peacemaker helped me remember." She hadn't revealed that part of her vision to the others. It would have raised too many unanswerable questions, but now it seemed the Sheriff just might have those answers.

"I can fill in a little more of your story, Nicole. After Ward found you, he brought you to me." Sheriff Nedley sighed and dropped into in a deep armchair. "I was pretty shaken up after all those people died at the music festival. And what's more, some top-secret cross-border task force took over to process the scene and clean everything up.

"The good ol' BBD, I'm assuming?" Wynonna said.

Nedley nodded. "They said it had been a fire. Their story didn't quite track with me, but who was I to ask questions? Later that day, Ward pulls me aside. 'You know that girl waiting out in the lobby?' he asks. I said, 'Sure, the runaway. Six years old. Flaming red hair.' Ward just shakes his head and tells me, 'She's not actually a runaway. That's what I've told everyone to cover up what she actually is. A survivor. She was at the music festival with her aunt and uncle and is the only one who made it out of there alive.' I was stunned. Why would he hide her from these cross-border agents? So I ask Ward why he's telling me this. 'Because I need your help,' he tells me. 'She's special, Randy, but she doesn't know it. Not yet. I don't think I fully do either.'"

"Special how?" Waverly asked. She looked at Nicole and grinned. "I mean, I know she's special. She is my magical unicorn after all."

Nicole couldn't help returning the smile and squeezing her hand. "That's right, baby."

Wynonna dry heaved. "All right, you two. Remember the rest of us are still here. And we're discussing a massacre."

"Right," Waverly said, a bit sheepishly. "Sorry. Please continue, Sheriff. What did Daddy tell you after that?"

"Well, then Ward says to me, 'Randy, I'm sure you've noticed that strange things happen in this town...' I told him I prefer not dig too deeply into what I can't explain, and he says, 'Well, there's not too much more I can say about it, but I need you to keep an eye on this girl.' I ask if she's an orphan. Do we need to find a new home for her? Ward tells me she does have parents, they've been alerted to the situation, and are on their way to pick her up. They had been out of the country on vacation."

"Not entirely true..." Kate said.

"What?" Nicole asked. "You know something about my parents, too? What were they doing?"

"Sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have butted in. This is the sheriff's story. We can talk about your parents another time."

Nicole started to protest but Waverly placed a hand on hers. "One reality-crushing revelation at a time, babe. Okay?"

Nicole sighed. "I guess you're right." She turned back to Nedley. "What happened next?"

"So Ward asks me to look out for this girl. From afar. He says her name is Nicole Haught. She has a bigger part yet to play in Purgatory, and I need to do all I can to ensure she finds her way back here someday. 'Why me?' I ask him, and Ward says he has a bad feeling he might not be around much longer. He says he can't explain, he just knows it. Then he says, 'Trust me, Randy, please. I don't fully understand why, but this girl Nicole needs to wind up back in Purgatory, and she needs to be here before Willa's 27th birthday.' I remember chuckling at this point. How could he be so specific and yet so vague? Then he gets serious with me, grabs me by the front of my shirt. 'I'm not screwing around, Nedley,' he says. 'Promise me you'll help guide this girl back to this town.' He was kind of frantic, manic even, and it freaked me out. I had never seen him like that before. And he was my boss. So I tell him I'll do it. I'll watch young Haught and somehow try to get her back here. I had no idea how, and honestly it kind of slipped my mind after Ward and Willa died. I didn't think it mattered anymore, and I thought Ward was losing his marbles a bit. No offense," Nedley said, looking to Wynonna and Waverly.

Wynonna shrugged. "None taken. All the Earps are crazy, Nedley. Surely you know that by now."

"So what changed?" Nicole asked. "Because obviously you did get me here."

"It wasn't until I had been Sheriff for a while and was looking to recruit some new officers. Due to the nature of life in Purgatory, one way or another, let's just say we have a high turnover rate. So that's when I'm looking at files for potential candidates and I come across your name. Nicole Haught. Everything comes flooding back and I'm honestly a bit spooked. I look at your headshot and there's that same girl I had seen so many years ago. Now all grown up and a police office, no less. Plus, you were top of your class at the academy and looked to be an outstanding candidate. I don't know that I even would have tried recruiting you here because I would have thought you were too good for a place like this. But then I remembered my promise to Ward. Willa was gone so I didn't know if what he was afraid of was still relevant, but I knew that regardless of those crazy Earps, Purgatory would be lucky to have such a fine officer. You can imagine how thrilled I was when you said yes."

"Something drew me to your offer," Nicole said. "I can't even explain what it was. Purgatory certainly wasn't the kind of place I had been planning to go to, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was the right choice. I had to say yes."

Doc tipped his hat to her. "Well, I think I can safely speak for us all when I say we're glad you did, Office Haught."

"Why did you choose to become a police officer?" Kate asked.

Nicole had nearly forgotten the vampire was there. "Well, for a lot of reasons. But I guess mostly because I wanted to do something meaningful. Get out of my comfort zone. Interact with different kinds of people. It wasn't for power or authority. I wanted to save lives and help people make better choices." Nicole's head dropped. "And I'd be lying if I said my experience with the massacre wasn't a big part of my choice too. I wanted to help more people be survivors than victims."

Kate nodded. "You feel a sense of fulfillment from protecting people."

"Yeah, exactly," Nicole said.

"Because you're the Protector."

Nicole hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"You've heard this term applied to you before, yes?" Kate asked.

Nicole nodded. "When Ward saved me. Peacemaker was communicating with him, like it did with me, and he said, 'She's just a girl. How can she be the Protector?' But that's all I know."

"Peacemaker has a wealth of knowledge I don't think any of us fully realizes," Kate said. "Just imagine everything that gun has witnessed."

"You're talking about Peacemaker like it's a sentient being," Waverly said.

Kate shrugged. "I really don't think that's too far from the mark. But what I do know is this. Ward instructed Randy Nedley to watch over Nicole and guide her back to Purgatory because she's the Protector. It literally is her destiny to be here."

"The what?" Wynonna asked. "I've never heard about any so-called Protector."

"She's the Protector of the Earps. The heir and his or her successors."

Everyone started talking at once and Kate held up her hands to silence them. "Give me a minute, sheesh. You mortals are impatient. May I continue?"

Wynonna rolled her eyes. "Proceed."

"Not long after Wyatt told me the truth about my husband's fate," Kate said, looking at Doc, "he discovered that I planned to become what I am today. An immortal being. I was afraid he was going to try to talk me out of it, but instead he asked for a favor. Since I would be wandering the earth for all time, he asked if I could watch over his heirs. But not only his family - the Protectors as well. When that devil Sheriff Clootie cursed Wyatt, Maggie added her own modification. She couldn't retract Clootie's curse, so instead she added a provision. Each heir would have a Protector - someone with ties to the Ghost River Triangle who would aid in their efforts to break the Earp curse."

Kate looked around to make sure she still had everyone with her. The room was dead silent, all eyes fixed intently on her, so she continued.

"But here's the thing. I've done a shit job of honoring Wyatt's wishes. I've lived my extended life selfishly, assuming things would work themselves out on their own. I certainly didn't think the Earps would still be cursed several generations later. How hard could it be to re-kill 77 people who couldn't even leave a relatively small geographical area?"

Wynonna clenched her fists. "Yeah, well, I'd like to see you try-"

Kate cut her off. "But I see my mistake now. These revenants don't mess around, and some of them truly are very evil people. And no other heir has had such a team fighting with them. Your people are loyal, Wynonna, and as you've already seen, they will literally die to help you on this journey. I'll admit I'm still a little hazy on the Protector job description, since I've never actually seen one in action, but I don't believe there are any hard-set rules. What I do understand is that the Protector isn't necessarily born with that title. It's earned in a way, and he or she always has some connection to the Ghost River Triangle. Usually they're born here. In Nicole's case, she was the sole survivor of a massacre that occurred here. An event tied to Sheriff Clootie, no less. That was her crucible, so to speak. Something to link her to this place and, in theory, motivate her to aid the heir and break the curse."

"But I don't understand," Waverly said. "If the Protectors have been a thing since Wyatt's time, why didn't I ever come across this in all my research? Surely there must have been a record of something this significant."

"Not if the heirs wanted to keep their Protectors safe," Kate said. "Sheriff Clootie was the only one who heard Maggie's spell that brought the Protectors into being. And the heirs' discretion has worked. Protectors who accept their calling have a knack for staying alive."

"You mean they're immortal?" Jeremy asked eagerly.

"No, not quite," Kate said with a laugh. "But no Protector has ever been killed in the line of duty while helping the heir."

Waverly looked at Nicole. "You did survive the Widow's bite and a fall from a freakishly tall cliff."

Wynonna snorted. "Yeah, well, obviously the same can't be said for the heirs. Pretty shitty job of protecting, if you ask me."

"They have tried," Kate said with a shrug. "But they are never the demons' primary target, are they? Especially when revenants don't even know that such a role exists. And not every Protector has accepted their call, leaving that heir even more vulnerable."

"Okay, let me see if I have this right," Nicole said. "I'm the Protector for the current Earp heir. For Wynonna. I have this 'calling' because I survived a crucible that links me to this place. I don't have any job description or any special abilities besides the fact that I'm destined to help this heir until one of us dies. And there's a good chance I'll survive as long as Wynonna does."

Kate nodded. "That's pretty much it. Everything I know, anyway."

"But how did we not know any of this before?" Wynonna asked. "Seems like a pretty big deal. Why didn't Daddy ever tell us?"

"Well, you weren't supposed to be his heir, were you?" Kate asked.

"Willa..." Wynonna said.

"Exactly. She would have known. And I wouldn't be surprised if she had figured out who your Protector was when she came back." Kate looked to Nicole. "Since she sided with the revenants, can you recall any time when Willa tried to hurt you? I imagine she would have wanted to eliminate the Protector."

"Uh, yeah," Nicole said. "She's freaking shot me in the chest."

Kate folded her arms. "I rest my case."

"Then who was Daddy's Protector?" Waverly asked, trying to fit the pieces of this crazy jigsaw puzzle together.

"Who stayed by Ward's side even with all the abuse?" Kate said. "Who was the missing piece when the Seven attacked the Homestead and shattered the Earps?"

"Mama," Wynonna and Waverly said, looking at each other.

"Your mother didn't go crazy because she had a psychotic episode," Kate said with an incredulous laugh. "A Protector can't be broken that easily. "She was targeted by demons. They may not have fully understood exactly who she was, but they knew she was special. They knew they couldn't destroy your family while she was still an integral part of it."

"And all this time I've hated her," Wynonna said. "Blamed her."

Waverly put a hand on her shoulder. "We didn't know."

"Go to her, Waverly," Kate said. "There's more your mother can reveal about your past than I can."

"But what if she's having one of her episodes? What if she doesn't even remember who I am?" 

"That's a risk you'll have to take," Kate said. "Because there's even more to her than just being your mother and a former Protector. Something she can explain that I have limited knowledge of. It's no coincidence your reincarnated spirit came to her, Waverly. Mama Earp is also a witch."


	4. All of You

_Author's note: Whew, this one was fun to write! Who doesn't like to read about prisons, estranged parents, and sexy times all in one chapter? No, you didn't stumble onto OITNB fanfic. Of course this is Wynonna Earp. ;) Only one more chapter after this, and I hope to get it out later this week. Enjoy!_

* * *

Waverly looked up at the vast building in front of her, the mental institution that imprisoned her mother. She took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy.

After getting through security and verifying her identity, Waverly was seated at a small round table in the lobby, waiting.

After a few minutes, a security guard walked up. "Come with me, Miss Earp," he said, motioning for her to follow him. "You will be meeting with your mother in a private interview room."

Waverly hesitated. "Why can't we meet here? My sister has been here before and always meets with Mama out here."

"Your mother requested a more intimate space, and honestly she's been doing really well lately so we're willing to give her this."

"I'm concerned about how she might react," Waverly said. "I haven't seen her in a long time..."

"Don't worry," the guard said. "You'll be alone in the room together, but we will have eyes on you. If anything goes wrong, someone will be inside within moments. And your mother will remain handcuffed to the table. You'll be completely safe."

Waverly nodded. "Okay. Take me to her." She felt bad for being so paranoid about her own mother, especially after what she now knew about her, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

As they approached the room, Waverly took a deep breath. Maybe she wasn't ready for this. The door opened and she stepped inside. The woman before her was very much how she remembered her.

"Mama."

The woman looked up. "Waverly?"

Waverly sat across from her.

Michelle's eyes lit up. "Baby, what are you doing here?"

"I know you never wanted me to come. Never wanted me to even know where you were. But I had to see you."

Michelle shook her head. "It's not because I never wanted to see you again, darling. You caught me on a good day today, but in here the voices usually don't let me speak for myself. I didn't want you to see that." She sighed. "I don't even know how long I'll be this coherent." Her hands were cuffed to the table, but she opened her palms face up to her daughter.

Waverly hesitated, then placed her hands in her mother's. A tear ran down her cheek. "Mama there's so much I want to say, but if we don't have much time, there's one thing we have to talk about."

Michelle nodded. "Ask me anything, love. I owe you that."

"This is going to sound crazy."

Michelle laughed. "Look around you. You're in the right place. And I'm certainly not one to judge."

"Okay." Waverly took a deep breath. "Is it true that I don't have a father? Like literally, biologically, do not have a father?"

Michelle's eyes opened wide, verifying what Waverly already knew. "Good heavens. Who told you that?"

"And is it true that I'm a witch? And you too?"

Her mama looked like she was about to faint. "Waverly," she whispered. "How could you possibly know all this?"

Waverly pulled her hands back. "How could you never tell me? I spent so long thinking there was something wrong with me, Mama. Why?"

"What was I supposed to tell you? The truth?"

"Yeah, for once," Waverly said. "That would have been super helpful."

"And you really would have believed me? Do you think anyone would? They certainly didn't believe when I said I hadn't cheated on your father even though we weren't sleeping together and yet I was pregnant. Or when the barn caught fire with you in it but I wasn't trying to hurt you. No sir, straight to the nuthouse with me."

Waverly sighed. Her mother had been put through the ringer. She had to remember that. "I'm sorry you've been here for so long, Mama. I believe you."

Michelle let out a long breath. "You know how long I've been waiting for someone to say those exact words to me?" She shook her head. "They're starting to come back, baby. The voices. Ask me what you need to know before they take over. Your sister told me Bulshar is back."

Waverly nodded. "He is. Do you know how we can defeat him?"

"Lord, if only I knew."

"How did you know I was a witch?"

"I could feel it even when I was pregnant with you," Mama said. "There's been power coursing through your veins your whole life."

"And how can I harness that power? Do I have to learn spells?"

"There certainly are spells you can learn," Mama said. "But even more important than that is discovering your propensity."

"My what?"

"Your occult propensity. Every witch has one. It's the power that sets you apart from others. Your specialty, so to speak."

"So what's yours?" Waverly asked.

"Communing with spirits," Mama replied. "But as you can see, it's a difficult one to control. Hence my current housing situation. I hear literal voices in my head. Not all of them are helpful, but not all are bad. Have you learned about the ammonite we buried in the bedrock of the Homestead?"

Waverly nodded. "It keeps the revenants off our land."

"Exactly. I learned about that from the spirits I communed with. So like I said, they aren't all bad. But without being able to properly meditate and cast spells in here I have no way of controlling them."

"We have to get you out," Waverly said.

Mama shook her head. "That's going to be a long process. You take care of yourself and your sister for now. Worry about me later. I'm okay."

"There was one other thing," Waverly said. "Kate - the person who told me who I really am, and that's a long story - she said I was the witch Maggie reincarnated and that eventually my memories should come back. Maybe then I'll know my propensity."

Mama nodded. "You're Maggie. Wyatt's Maggie."

"That's what she told me. But how did you know?"

"The spirits," Mama said with a shrug. "They told me whose soul I was protecting. I was determined to give you a good life, and I tried, but then everything went horribly wrong."

"What happened that night in the barn, Mama?"

Michelle sighed. "I was casting out a demon that had been following you. When I tried to bind her to me, the brief possession caused my body to thrash around. The candles were knocked over and the barn caught fire. I would never try to hurt you, darling. I hope you believe me."

Waverly nodded. "I do, Mama. Thank you for telling me all of this. It's a relief to finally get some answers."

"Now if only everyone else could believe me just as easily," Michelle said with a chuckle. "The whole immaculate conception thing could get me on Oprah!" Mama paused. "Please tell me Oprah is still a thing."

Waverly laughed. "She's definitely still a thing."

"Good. Then I suppose the world hasn't completely gone to shit."

"One last thing, Mama," Waverly said. "I know you were also the Protector. What does that mean?"

Michelle sighed. "I wish I understood it more. All I knew is I was there to protect my family, including that abusive Earp heir of a husband. I did care about Ward, but he was a mean drunk. And you all were safe until I got locked up. I figured the ammonite was the best contribution I had made. I don't know what bigger role I was supposed to play." She paused. "Do you know who the new Protector is? For Wynonna?"

Waverly nodded. "Coincidentally, it's my girlfriend. Nicole."

Michelle took a second to process all of that. "Well, if she's your girlfriend then I know she's looking out for both of my girls, and I couldn't ask for more."

Waverly smiled. "You'll like her."

Mama smiled back. "I know I will."

* * *

Waverly walked out of the building in a daze. There was so much she needed to process, but honestly there was only one thing she could think about. One person, actually. She pulled out her phone and texted Nicole.

W: Hey beautiful. Is your shift finished?

N: Yep and I was about to head over to the homestead to wait for you. How did things go with your mom?

W: Good, but I'm pretty overwhelmed with it all

N: You ok?

W: Yeah but honestly I just need to be with you. I'm leaving now

N: Sounds good babe. See you soon. Drive safe

* * *

Thirty minutes later Waverly was home. She walked as quickly as she could through the fresh snow and Nicole opened the door before Waverly even touched it.

"Hey," Nicole said with a big smile. "It's freezing out there." Once Waverly was inside Nicole helped her get her coat off and hung it in the closet. When she turned around Waverly stood on her tiptoes and kissed her softly. Nicole smiled into the kiss. There was something so tender and yet urgent and desperate. She pulled back just enough to look into her girlfriend's eyes.

"You okay, Waves? Not that this isn't okay. We've just been through a lot the last couple of days. Do you need to talk it out?"

Waverly smiled and a faint laugh escaped her lips. "We definitely have. And I want to tell you everything, but..."

"But what, babe?" Nicole asked. She took one of Waverly's hands in her own, rubbing her thumb in circles to soothe her.

Waverly placed her other hand behind Nicole's head, threading her fingers through her hair. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Right now what I need, more than anything, is you. All of you." She looked up into Nicole's eyes, conveying everything she wasn't saying.

Nicole took a deep breath. It was amazing how those fuck-me eyes could knock her off her feet Every. Single. Time. All she could do was nod and pull Waverly by the hand up the stairs to her room.

As soon as the door closed, Nicole turned and pinned Waverly up against it, pressing their lips together. Waverly immediately opened her mouth and slowed the kiss just as fast as it had started. She felt Nicole wait in response. Waverly closed her eyes and found Nicole's tongue with her own. Waverly loved how the inside of her mouth felt. Warm and smooth and perfect.

Nicole could only go slow for so long though, and her hands shot under Wavely's shirt, and in one swift move she had it over the shorter girl's head and onto the floor. Waverly smiled as she unbuttoned Nicole's shirt, which she attempted to do while keeping their lips firmly pressed together.

Nicole laughed. "Need to take a breather?"

"Who, me?" Waverly said, whipping Nicole's belt out of its loops. "Baby, we're just getting started." As soon as the belt was off, Waverly unbuttoned Nicole's pants and pulled them down around her ankles. Nicole stepped out of them, her breath quickening. Waverly pulled her own pants off and then kneeled on the ground in front of her lover. It took all of Waverly's willpower to move slowly, but she took her time trailing a long line of kisses up Nicole's legs, making her laugh and squirm at the touch.

"Babe, that's not fair," Nicole said. "You know exactly where I'm ticklish."

Waverly looked up from her position. "Oh, but that's exactly what makes if fair, beautiful. That's also where you're most sensitive." Waverly picked up where she left off, just above Nicole's kneecap, and kept going up and up. She placed her fingertips on Nicole's hips, hovering at the hem of her underwear. Waverly looked up, asking, and Nicole nodded. The barrier was whipped away the next second, and Waverly's lips found their mark again. This time tracing the outline of the neatly-trimmed hair between Nicole's legs. Waverly paused, then with a grin she stood back up, placing her lips back on Nicole's.

"Oh, you _tease_ ," Nicole said with a breathy voice that was clearly not unhappy about it.

They unclasped each other's bras, discarding them, along with Waverly's underwear, onto the floor.

Nicole walked backwards, their lips still locked, leading Waverly to the bed. "If we wait any longer, this is happening on the floor."

Waverly's head dropped back slightly as she laughed. "That's bound to happen eventually," she said. "But I agree. Bed."

Nicole felt the goosebumps rise on Waverly's skin as they climbed into the cool sheets. She pulled the heavy blanket over them, then laid on top of the smaller woman. "Don't worry, babe. I'll warm you up real quick."

"I know you will. Oh..." Waverly shuddered as Nicole moved herself down the bed, spread Waverly's legs, and placed a soft kiss between them.

* * *

Some time later, maybe two, three, four hours... the women laid side by side, holding hands.

"Babe, that was insane," Nicole sad, breaking the silence.

"Oh my god," Waverly said with a small giggle. "That was totally the best sex we've ever had, right?"

"Totally," Nicole replied, taking a deep breath. "Wow."

Waverly glanced to Nicole and gently placed a finger on her chin to bring her face towards her. They kissed, long and soft. "I love you, Nicole," she whispered.

Nicole wrapped her arms tight around her tiny Amazon. "I love you too, Waves. So, so much."

"I feel complete with you." Waverly sighed, perfectly content.

Suddenly, images started flashing before Waverly's eyes. But they were more than images - they were memories. _Her_ memories. She felt her body tensing and somewhere in the distance Nicole's voice was calling to her, pleading for her to come back. But she couldn't, not just yet.

Demons.

Angels.

Peacemaker.

Wyatt.

Clootie.

Power.

Curse.

Protector.

Pain.

Robert.

Widows.

Death.

Despair.

Answers.

Hope.

Waverly gasped as she shot straight up in bed. She looked around in a panic. Where was she?

Nicole's voice finally pierced through the confusion. "Waverly."

Waverly turned and saw the confusion in her girlfriend's face.

"What just happened, babe?" Nicole asked.

"Holy shit," Waverly said, cradling her head in her hands. "A shit-ton just happened, that's what."

Nicole paused, a hand on Waverly's back, waiting for her.

Waverly took a deep breath. "Everything just came back to me, Nicole. My whole other life. Everything."

"Well, shit," Nicole said in response. The shock was severely limiting their vocabulary.

Waverly's brow furrowed, her mind busily stitching together all the disparate pieces. "I remember it all. And I think I know how to end Bulshar. For good this time."

Nicole's jaw dropped. "That's incredible, Waves. What do we need to do?"

"There's one other thing," Waverly said, her gaze drifting off to some unseen view. "Bobby..."

"Who's Bobby?" Nicole asked. "Is this someone we need to find? Someone who can help us?"

"Well..." Waverly began, clearly not quite sure how to form the words. "Yes, he is a part of all this and we do need to find him. Bobby... He's my brother. _Was_ my brother. In my past life. Maggie's life. Oh, god..." Waverly pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the beginning of a migraine setting in.

"What is it?" Nicole's expression was becoming increasingly concerned.

Waverly looked her straight in the eye. "I was Maggie _Svane._ Bobby, my brother, is Bobo."


	5. Destiny

_Author's note: This is it! I'm about to go out of town for a couple weeks, so I really tried to get this finished before then, and I'm actually happily surprised with how fast it all came together. I loved writing this, and definitely plan to write more Wayhaught fics. Let me know what you think of this one and what you might want to see from more stories in the future. I always appreciate creative ideas and feedback. Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride. Enjoy! :)_

* * *

"Knock knock, your majesty," Wynonna said as she removed the wooden cover from the well.

Bobo growled as he emerged into the partial light. "What do you want, Earp?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Wynonna said. "Do you have some other pressing engagement we're interrupting?"

"Who's we-" Bobo paused when he saw who the heir had brought with her. "Well, well, well. Miss Waverly. I've been waiting a long time to see you again. To what do I owe this honor?"

"I need answers from you, Bobo." Waverly hesitated. "Bobby."

Bobo tilted his head. "Now that's a name I haven't been called in a very long time. In fact, there's only one person who did."

"Your sister," Waverly said. "Maggie."

"You remember," Bobo said with a grin.

"You've known this whole time?" Waverly asked.

"I never knew for sure, but I've been fairly positive for a long time now. I knew Maggie was destined to come back before Bulshar. Once he returned, I examined the population of the Ghost River Triangle much more carefully. Part of why I stepped up to lead my fellow revenants was so I could use them to find you. But why the hell were you born to the Earps?"

"I'm glad I was," Waverly said. "We were close to Wyatt, Bobby. It makes sense that I would come to his family."

"Baby girl," Wynonna said hesitantly. "Are you more Maggie or Waverly?" This was the first time the disconcerting thought occurred to her.

"She's Maggie," Bobo said. "My Maggie. She lived that life twice as long as she's lived this one."

"I can answer for myself, thank you very much," Waverly replied. "I may have been Maggie twice as long, but that was a long time ago. I remember a lot about that life, but this one is much more vivid and real to me. I'm Waverly Earp."

"Not an Earp," Bobo said.

"Regardless. You know what I mean." She turned to Wynonna. "I'm still your Waverly. I just have these memories of knowing what Wyatt was like and practicing magic and Bobby being a brat."

"Hey, I was a good brother to you," Bobo said.

Waverly sighed. "You were the best. The kindest, gentlest man. But look at you now. You're not my Bobby."

"Don't you judge me, sis," Bobo spat. "You know the only thing I got from being that man was screwed over. Look at me now indeed. I'm at the bottom of a fucking well, forever doomed to damnation."

"Hey, can we get back on topic?" Wynonna asked. "You can resume this weird sibling feud another day. Assuming we survive."

"Bulshar?" Bobo asked.

"Yes," Waverly said. "He's coming for us and I need you to tell me about his ring and my powers."

"Now you come for my help. What do I get in return?"

"Your freedom," Wynonna said.

"Get me out of here first and I swear I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Wynonna looked to Waverly. She nodded. "He'll help us."

Wynonna threw down a rope and soon Bobo resurfaced.

He took a deep breath. "Ah, that's much better. So, what first?"

"The ring," Wynonna said. "Why does Bulshar need it?"

"Where is it now?" Bobo asked.

Waverly answered. "Nicole has it."

"Ah. She's special, you know."

"Yeah, she's my Protector or whatever," Wynonna said.

Bobo's eyebrow raised. "I'm impressed. I thought that knowledge might have died with Ward."

"So you knew about her too?" Waverly asked.

"It was another guess. She seems to enjoy hovering around you Earps, plus she reminded me a lot of the ginger kid who survived the massacre a while back. Just made sense."

Wynonna got up in his face, grabbing the front of his shirt. "Did you have anything to do with that slaughter?"

Bobo put his hands up in defense. "No way. That was cult of Bulshar mumbo jumbo. I know better than to mix with that crowd. But I have eyes and ears everywhere."

Wynonna released him. "So, the ring..."

"Right," Bobo said. "Bulshar needs his ring because with it, he's invincible. Peacemaker and the ring were forged from the same metal and have a connection. If Bulshar has it, he can't be killed.

"Super," Wynonna said. "Just super."

"But we have his ring, and we'll make sure we keep it," Waverly said, trying to reassure her sister. "And what can you tell me about my powers, Bobby?"

"What do you remember?" he asked.

"Well, Mama said all witches have their own special power, their occult propensity, she called it."

Bobo nodded. "What do you think yours is?"

"That's just it. It's a little fuzzy to me. But it seems like it's something to do with manipulation - not of people necessarily, but maybe images?" She sighed. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"No, it does," Bobo said. "You're close. You were able to manipulate images in a way. You can conjure illusions."

"Illusions?"

"Yes. Make people see or think things that aren't part of reality."

"Well, that's certainly not terrifying," Wynonna said, eyes wide. She looked to her sister. "So you can probably literally drive people to insanity. Walk them right off a cliff. Make them think whatever you want them to." She gasped. "Is that why I coughed up half the money for that stupid hamster when we were younger? Did you do some mind control voodoo?"

"What? Of course not!" Waverly said. "I just thought you were being nice. And Pikachu wasn't stupid."

"I swear something must have possessed me to be _that_ nice."

"She wouldn't have been able use her powers to then," Bobo said. "Not without knowing how to wield them. It has to be done intentionally, with practice. And that kind of power _is_ terrifying - if used for nefarious purposes. Lucky for all of us, Maggie was good. A white witch, as they would say. Waverly has the same kind heart."

"The thought of manipulating people that way makes me sick," Waverly said with a shudder. "I could never do that. But you're right..." She drifted off as other memories became more clear. "I used those abilities to help people. I remember convincing several assholes that instead of beating their girlfriends and wives, they would be much better off packing their bags and getting the hell outta Dodge. And I could hide Wyatt's whereabouts from those who were trying to harm him." She paused for a moment and smiled. "Then there was the garden party at our house that I ended when I was tired of hosting by making everyone think it had started pouring rain."

"That was you?" Bobo said. "I remember thinking it was strange that the massive storm cleared not long after the people did."

Waverly laughed. "That was the one time I used it selfishly, I swear!"

Wynonna cleared her throat. "Can you two come back from your neat little trip down memory lane? What do we need to do now?"

"Can my powers help us take down Bulshar?" Waverly asked.

"Certainly can't hurt," Bobo said. "You'll need to practice first. Your power won't be what kills him, but it can maybe buy you some time. And one more thing: If you're going to use your powers on another person, it helps to have some token of theirs. This will make your power over them more influential."

"So Bulshar's ring," Wynonna said.

Bobo nodded. "Exactly."

"Okay then," Waverly said. "Time to practice."

* * *

"You sure you're ready for this, baby girl?" Wynonna asked. "It's only been three weeks and I don't think you're at peak Hocus Pocus status yet."

Waverly nodded. "I'm sure. The longer we wait, the more damage he'll do and the more lives he'll take."

"Okay," Wynonna said, addressing the group. Before her stood Waverly, Nicole, Doc, and Jeremy. "You all know the plan. Let's go put this son of bitch down in the ground for good."

An hour later Waverly stood partially hidden in the trees at the edge of a clearing where an ill-fated music festival had occurred twenty years before. She twisted Bulshar's ring around and around in her hand, waiting. He would be drawn to its power. It wasn't long before she could sense the darkness surrounding her. _He_ was coming.

Waverly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared her mind, focusing solely on the mirage she wanted to project. She was pleased. He was a perfect likeness of the real deal.

Moments later Bulshar walked into the clearing, then stopped short, mouth agape. Before him stood none other than Wyatt Earp.

"Earp," he growled. "This isn't possible."

"You sure?" Wyatt said, a grin spread across his face.

"What are you doing here?" Bulshar asked. His body tensed and he looked ready to kill.

"I'm here to finish what I started a century ago." Wyatt removed Peacemaker from its holster. "I'm here to end you."

The two foes started circling one another.

"Impossible!" Bulshar shouted. "Your bones are rotting in the earth!"

"Which is where yours belong," Wyatt said. "Sheriff Clootie, your reign of terror over Purgatory has finally come to and end. Time to make your peace."

"Where is my ring? I can sense its power near. You must have it."

Wyatt pulled the ring out of his pocket and placed it on his own finger. "And I'm going to keep it."

Bulshar stretched out his hand, summoning the ring back to its owner.

Wyatt laughed when nothing happened. "It seems as if your powers aren't what they used to be, old man."

"No, this isn't real," Bulshar said, his voice lowering to nearly a whisper. "That ring is bound to me and must return when it's within my sight." He looked Wyatt in the eye, his lips curving into a smug smile. "You aren't real, but I'm impressed with the resemblance. Down to the tone of his voice and mannerisms. This is sorcery, and only one witch knew Wyatt that well." Bulshar projected his voice louder to reach unseen ears. "You may have protected Wyatt at one time, witch, but I'm afraid he can't do the same for you now."

Bulshar thrust out his arms and a force rippled out from him throughout the clearing. Sensing now where she was, Bulshar turned to face Waverly. He lifted his hand, and as if he held an invisible rope tied to her, when he yanked his hand back, Waverly immediately fell forward into the clearing.

Waverly gasped as her spell was broken and she fell to her knees.

"So you returned after all." Bulshar started marching toward her. "I see you remembered who you once were, witch. But this time when you die, I will send you straight to hell where you can never reincarnate."

A loud voice spoke from behind Bulshar. "You just forgot one little thing, Clootie. Baby girl's got people watching her back this time." Bulshar spun around and out from the trees emerged Wynonna, Nicole, Doc, and Jeremy, all with weapons raised. "And you're the one who's all alone."

With that, Wynonna aimed Peacemaker between Bulshar's eyes, pulled the trigger, and...

Nothing.

Wynonna recocked the gun, pulled the trigger again, and..

Still nothing.

Bulshar started laughing. "An admirable attempt, but I made sure no Earp would ever be able to kill me again."

Bulshar lifted his hand, palm facing Wynonna, and a force knocked her back thirty feet into a tree, which immediately started twisting its branches around her. Peacemaker fell to the snow where she had been, the impact knocking it out of her hands.

Doc and Jeremy simultaneously started running toward him. Bulshar merely gave a flick of his wrist and they crashed into the trees, both crying out in pain once they hit, then fell to the ground, unconscious.

He then turned his attention to Waverly. All he had to do was snap his fingers and the ring flew out of her hand and into his open palm. A wide grin spread across his face as he put the ring on. "I've waited so long for this moment. Now I am invincible."

Once Bulshar's attention was back on Wynonna, Waverly and Nicole moved toward each other, but he sensed their movement and immediately spun back around.

"I can't have you trying anything again, _witch_ ," Bulshar said, practically spitting out the last word. Again he lifted his hands, this time causing Waverly and Nicole's bodies to completely stiffen and they fell to the ground. Bulshar laughed and once again moved toward Wynonna.

Nicole groaned. She could move her head, but her arms and legs were completing immobile.

"He totally just petrificus totalus-ed us," Nicole said. When Waverly didn't reply, Nicole moved her head around until she could see her, just about ten feet away. Nicole found she could move ever so slightly and started rocking back and forth little by little until she was able to gain momentum and rolled so she was right in front of her girlfriend.

"Nice log roll, babe," Waverly said. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth but faded just as fast. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I wasn't strong enough to keep you all safe."

"Don't you dare apologize," Nicole told her. "You were incredible. Looks like it wouldn't have done us any good anyway. Wynonna couldn't even kill him." She sighed. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm the Protector and can't even do my job."

Tears started coming down Waverly's face. "So what now? We're just stuck here until Bulshar kills us all."

Nicole shivered as her face started turning numb from lying in the snow. "The cold might beat him to it."

"Why didn't Peacemaker work?" Waverly asked. "I don't understand."

"Peacemaker..." Nicole said, an idea starting to form in her mind. "Where is the gun?"

"Behind you," Waverly said, gesturing with her head. "Maybe thirty feet."

Nicole nodded. "Okay. Hold tight, babe. I'm going to try something."

Waverly shook her head. "Nicole, no. Please don't leave me. I can't lose you."

Nicole looked her straight in the eye. "I love you, Waverly Earp. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

Waverly smiled. "I love you too, beautiful. The day you walked into Shorty's was the first best day of my life. And they've only gotten better since."

Nicole smiled back, wishing she could take Waverly in her arms. If all went well she would get to again. That's what she was fighting for.

Nicole managed to flip herself over and could then see Peacemaker just where Waverly had said. Again she started rocking back and forth until she could roll. Nicole really wasn't even sure what she was doing, but she felt drawn to the gun, so she decided to trust her gut.

In her mind she kept repeating Bulshar's words: "I made sure no Earp would ever be able to kill me again..."

Nicole gasped as she felt the cold sting of the metal, and as soon as she touched the gun she was free from Bulshar's binding hold. Nicole stood and picked up Peacemaker. She immediately felt a pulsing power surge through her body unlike anything she had ever felt before. Throwing caution to the wind, she started sprinting toward Bulshar. A yell burst from her lungs. A war cry.

Bulshar whipped away from Wynonna, who was being held firm by the tree and now had deep cuts all over her body. He had been torturing her.

"You foolish girl," Bulshar snarled.

Nicole stopped just ten feet in front of him, pointed Peacemaker at his head, and the gun suddenly turned a blinding blue.

Bulshar's eyes opened wide and Nicole saw something there she hadn't seen before. _Fear._

"You're the Protector," he said.

Nicole could suddenly feel the gun being pulled from her. She had to wrap both hands around the grip and hold on with every ounce of strength she had.

Bulshar's clenched fist came forward, the ring on his finger being pulled toward Nicole as he tried to hold it back. Some force was pulling the two metals together. Or maybe they were pulling each other.

"Nicole!" Waverly screamed from behind her.

Nicole could feel Peacemaker slipping from her grasp. There was no way she was going to let that happen, but she was nearly at her breaking point. Both the gun and the ring were fully extended from their handlers' arms, both vying to win the struggle.

Nicole leveled her gaze with Bulshar's. "You couldn't kill me in the forest. You couldn't kill me on the cliff. And you sure as hell aren't going to kill me now."

Nicole yelled and gave one final pull with everything she had left in her. When she jerked Peacemaker back, Bulshar howled in pain as his finger was ripped from his hand. Both finger and ring landed at Nicole's feet.

"Impossible," he said, his eyes even wider than they had been before.

Nicole planted both feet firmly on the ground and raised Peacemaker again, aiming between his eyes. The gun glowed brighter than she had ever seen. "You said no Earp would ever be able to kill you again. Well, I'm no Earp."

Nicole pulled the trigger and Peacemaker aimed true, striking Bulshar between the eyes. He screamed in agony and anger as the flaming jaws of hell opened to suck him back down.

And just like that, he was gone.

Nicole looked to Peacemaker and smiled. "Thanks, buddy." The gun gave a brief blue flicker and sent a tingling surge of warmth up her arm.

Immediately Bulshar's hold on the group released.

Wynonna gasped for air as the tree's constricting grip let her go.

Doc and Jeremy slowly came to consciousness in the distance.

Nicole turned just as Waverly came crashing into her. They embraced tightly and just stood there holding each other, both with tears in their eyes.

Wynonna came up and wrapped her arms around them both, and when Doc and Jeremy finally reached them, they did the same.

Wynonna looked to the ground where Bulshar had last been. "Good riddance, shithead."

* * *

Waverly couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her face. She leaned into Nicole's arms and tilted her head back, kissing her on the cheek. She dug her toes deeper into the sand and looked over the roaring ocean waves in front of them.

Nicole kissed her forehead. "This is nice, babe. Amazing, actually, since you've never been to the beach before. I mean, I can actually feel the heat of the sun and hear seagulls in the distance. You're getting really good at this."

"Are you sure? I mean I've watched a lot of movies with beaches, but it's hard to know for sure what's real."

"You know, there is one thing missing." Nicole closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The air. There's a kind of saltiness you can smell and almost taste when you're at the beach. Someday soon we're gonna go and you'll see for yourself."

Waverly turned to face Nicole and straddled her lap. "Deal. As soon as we finish the revenants."

Nicole smiled and brought her lips within centimeters of Waverly's. "Deal. But how about we not talk about them right now? The point of a fake beach getaway is to get away from reality."

Their lips connected for a moment, but they both pulled back at the sound of pounding, almost like someone knocking on a door. At the beach.

Nicole tilted her head, listening. "Is that...?"

"Wynonna," Waverly groaned. "Sorry, babe. I'm not quite at the point of being able to tune out every aspect of reality. I swear I'll get there as soon as possible."

Nicole laughed as she took Waverly's face in her hands and kissed her again. "Don't be sorry," she whispered. "This was perfect." She pulled back just enough to look her in the eye and smiled. "I love you, Waverly Earp."

"And I love you, Nicole Haught."

Another round of door pounding started.

The girls both laughed, rolled their eyes, and shouted, "Coming!"

Suddenly the illusion broke and they were back sitting on the plush carpet in Waverly's room.

The door slowly opened and Wynonna poked her head in. "Everyone decent?"

"Yep, wish we could say the same for you, Earp," Nicole deadpanned.

"Ouch, Haught. I should be offended, but well played. Now get dressed, losers. Time to go."

Wynonna left and Waverly and Nicole laughed again.

"She's really got a knack for that," Nicole said.

"Yep," Waverly agreed. "It's definitely one of her better talents. Now let's get ready and then I have a surprise for you when we get back."

"First the beach and then another surprise? This wouldn't have anything to do with that Santa getup in the box under your bed, would it?"

Waverly gasped and smacked her arm. "Nicole Haught, you should know better than to go snooping through things right before Christmas!"

Nicole threw her hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry! But you know how curious and impatient I am." She leaned in closer until their noses touched. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I always go after the things I want."

"Let's go, lovebirds!" Wynonna bellowed from downstairs. "We need to get our tree before all the Purgatory pricks take the best ones!"

Nicole gave Waverly a quick peck on the lips and helped her to her feet. "And we better go before what I want is to kill your sister."

The girls got dressed and walked out of the room and down the stairs where Wynonna, Jeremy, and Doc were waiting.

Jeremy cheered when he saw them. "Yay, Wayhaught is ready! Let's go get our coniferous decor!"

"It's called a Christmas tree," Wynonna said. "Don't make things weird, Chetri. I can still uninvite you."

"But I couldn't miss being here to help... _spruce_ things up a little bit." He looked around the room for validation. "Oh, come on. That was a good one."

"Chetri!"

"Fine."

"Did you know," Waverly said as they followed Wynonna out the door, "ancient peoples would hang evergreen boughs over their doors and windows to keep away evil spirits and illness?"

"Then would decorating our tree with ammonite be overkill?" Wynonna asked.

Waverly ignored her. "And Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century. Then Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are really the ones who made it popular in Britain in more modern times. Then it came over to North America, but it did take some time before..."

Nicole smiled to herself as she listened to Waverly. This was their first Christmas together, and Nicole knew in her heart it would be the first of many - of a lifetime of Christmases. She imagined all the special occasions they would share together. More holidays, vacations, anniversaries... even someday a wedding and children. And growing old together. Nicole's smile widened at the thought, then she looked to Waverly and kissed her on the cheek.

Waverly stopped mid-sentence and smiled. "What was that for?"

Nicole shrugged. "Couldn't help myself."

And if that was their destiny, she was pretty darn stoked.

THE END


End file.
